Smoak Screens
by WritingOpensTheWorld
Summary: It had been years since Felicity had stepped foot in Starling City. And in those years the girl she had been had disappeared, barely a trace remained. But Starling City holds a lot of memories, including the blue eyes of a billionaire who broke her heart.


" _We both lied Oliver," Felicity said, sliding the blades onto her back. "And we both did what we have to in order to survive."_

For the longest time, her only association with Starling City was one of sadness. A life she had loved so much, a life that had been crushed to dust in seconds. Now she was back, and that feeling permeated through her body, vibrating into her thoughts. The Queen Consolidated Tower somehow seemed bigger than it had when she was eighteen. That seemed like a lifetime ago. It might have been daunting, but now her company's tower was taller. And she was no longer a young, naïve child.

When she entered, her red soled shoes clanged against the marble floor. The tower had such a dark colour scheme, and it was so desperate to scream richness in a visitor face. It was hard to think of this tower as the one she had once run about in as a kid. Now it looked like a lifeless mausoleum rather than a concrete jungle ready to explore.

"Hello ma'am," said the receptionist. She had died platinum blond hair, and a fake smile plastered on her face that all receptionists seemed to share by the mid-afternoon. At their company, they generally only lasted till 11 am, not that she could hold that against them. "May I help you?" the receptionist asked, her voice dripping with a false sweetness. It took a lot of energy for her not to roll her eyes, and even more energy not to slap the woman for her immediate dismissal of her.

"I'm here for a meeting with Oliver Queen," she replied curtly, the receptionist vexing her fourteen words into the conversation.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked, looking down at her computer screen, as though she was ready to call security when this turned into a fangirl moment.

"I am here for the meeting he is currently in," she replied. The receptionist quickly grabbed a pass, giving it to her.

"Sorry for the delay ma'am," the receptionist quickly replied, a sudden look of fear on her face. She grabbed the pass, and with one final glance at the receptionist, headed towards the lift. There was a small part of her that thrived on seeing the fear and terror she could inspire. Even if, for the most part, it was due to her father more than her. She was the sole occupant of the lift, generally what happened when your company decided it needed a lift for every person. Her ears were greeted with generic elevator music, the kind to leave your ear the moment you exited the doors to your destination.

She stepped out, knowing exactly where to go. The structure of the building had not changed, every room still remained where it was. Then she froze as she saw him. Oliver was there, and she felt her heart jump. It had been just over nine years, and the man before her was very different to the young one she had known. It was in his eyes, you could see the pain he had been through. What that island had done to him, she could imagine better than most. It was in the way he stood, like the world was crushing him down. The way his mouth was drawn into a straight line, a man who knew more than a man his age should. She felt pity, knowing the cost that such an experience took.

"You can't win this," she heard Rochev say, pulling her out of her train of thought. The bitch sat with her chair higher than everyone else, she thought. If that didn't resemble a god complex, then really what did? She may have never met the girl herself, but she had heard more than enough horror stories to consider pushing her out one of the windows. Sure, that girl was gorgeous but that was about the only attractive quality Rochev held. She quickly worked to put a muted expression on her face. Time to get the battle armour on, and with Rochev, coat her blade in poison to make sure the job was done the first time. "I own 45% of the stock, you have no money to buy enough shares. When that 10% is released, I will purchase it. By tomorrow I will have the outstanding 10%," Rochev continued.

God, her voice was irritating. "I will control your company," she said. Oliver had his back turned to her, a stoic look on his face. She knew her father had not told him yet, and the worry had etched its way onto his face. He wanted to surprise Oliver, make him pay for some of the pain he had caused her. Like any father would for his precious only daughter. "Any attempt to fight me will lead to litigation and leave you penniless. And trust me, poverty isn't as glamourous as Charles Dickins' made it look," Rochev snarked, and at that Oliver finally turned to face her, anger and frustration etched in the lines on his face.

"What if I found someone to invest new equity capital?" he asked, and it was clear as day the smirk Rochev tried to hide. With every minute, Rochev became more and more punchable.

"A white knight? With all due respect, your last name is now associated with mass murder, even you don't have that good a friend," Rochev replied, her face blank, giving no emotion away. Isabel clearly thought she had this in the bag. This was going to be fun.

"You may be right Rochev," she said stepping into the room, passing straight by Oliver, barely giving him a second glance. What he had been through on the island, that didn't change what had happened between them. She still hated him for being a lying bastard. Years and years didn't remove the grudge lodged in her heart. She could feel Oliver staring at her, it may have been nine years, but she hadn't changed that much, at least not on the outside.

"Excuse me, who are you?" asked Isabel, an annoyed look appearing on her face. She smirked back.

"I mean, a new source of equity capital? Oliver wouldn't be able to find that easily at all," she continued, pulling up a seat, putting her feet up on the table. She dared anyone to tell her to put them down. "And I mean it would be easy for you to buy the shares Rochev," she continued, pulling her phone out, loading up the email her father had passed along. "Except for one tiny detail," she said, holding a finger up and sliding the phone over to Rochev.

"What would that be?" Isabel asked, picking up the phone.

"As of 9 am this morning, my company brought the outstanding 10% of shares for Queen Consolidated. Meaning Rochev, that we have the choice of who to side with," she continued, holding her hand out for her phone back. Isabel passed it back to her. "And frankly, I think you are a bitch, so take a guess at who we are backing," she said, standing up from the table, walking over to Oliver. She kept her face blank, not giving away how badly she wanted to punch both Isabel and Oliver. "Congratulations Mr. Queen," she said, holding her hand out. He took it, and she quickly pulled away after a brief shake. She didn't need the feelings that came back with him and physical contact.

"Who are you?" asked Rochev, knowing she was beat in this moment. Of course, there was still a fight, but that was for another day.

"Felicity Smoak, daughter of Donald Smoak. And as of this morning, COO of Smoak Technologies," Felicity said, a smile breaking out at the look of shock on Rochev's face. After all, no one had heard a word about Donald Smoak's daughter in the last nine years. There was a good reason why Felicity had disappeared from the face of the earth, a secret known to very few who still lived. And something that haunted her every living minute. No longer was she willing to hide in the shadows though. The time had come to step out and take a stand. "If there is nothing else, Ms Rochev, I suggest you exit," Felicity added, staring Rochev down. If she could have killed her there, it would have saved a lot of pain later. Rochev's associates quickly stood, as she made her way to the door.

"This isn't over," Rochev said with a last glare before making a dramatic exit.

"Man, she is a bitch," muttered Felicity. The room continued to empty, until only her and Oliver remained. And that was when the elephant in the room turned into a nuclear bomb. She felt her palms twitch, a nervous tick she hadn't suffered from in years. But here before her stood a remnant of her old life. The person she used to be.

"I can't believe it's you," muttered Oliver, drawing Felicity's attention back into the room.

"Yes, well, even your behaviour couldn't force me to leave Starling forever," she curtly replied. Oliver's face remained blank, no emotion, nothing. It made Felicity want to throw a chair at him, just to get a reaction, just to see him hurt like she had. "Let me be clear, Mr Queen," she continued, seeing only the slightest twitch in his face at the use of his last name. "We are business partners, nothing more. What remains of a friendship between us might as well be on that island you got stuck on, because we are never going to be that again," she finished. Sure, it was harsh, but it got the message across. Felicity had already decided that keeping her guard up was the only way she would survive this. She would never fall for the ways of Oliver Queen again.

"Please, Felicity, can we just…." Oliver started, and she quickly put her hand up.

"I will have my assistant send you my phone number in case Rochev steps out of line. You do not use it for anything else, or you and your company will regret it," Felicity interrupted. Before he could respond, she turned her back to him and walked straight out of the room. It wasn't until Felicity reached the lifts she realised she had been holding her breath.

Maybe, just maybe, a small part of her had hoped that Oliver would have followed after her. Told her not to leave, that he couldn't bear the thought of being apart from her ever again. Like he had once promised her. But that small part was quickly crushed by a large hammer, no, she would never feel that way again. Oliver Queen was a mistake in her past, one that would never bear repeating. Her focus was the company, and her relationship with her father.

There would be a media circus, Rochev would make sure her reappearance would leak to the press. Hardly every day a billionaire's daughter reappears after nine years of silence. A good portion of the population thought her dead.

They had no idea how close that was to being the truth.

 **Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know your thoughts and what you would like to see happen!**


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